1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI) and the Jeju Special Self-governing Province, will co-host the 3rd Republic of Korea-Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Partnership Seminar at the Suites Hotel Jeju on June 9, 2022.

° The ROK-IORA Partnership Seminar, which was held in 2020 for the first time, is a track-1.5 consultative mechanism that the ROK government proposed at the 19^th IORA Council of Ministers Meeting in Abu Dhabi in November 2019. The Seminar carries significance in that it promotes mutual understanding and seeks out areas for substantive cooperation by providing a platform for policy and academic exchange.

° The upcoming Seminar will bring together government officials and experts from related research institutes and academia of the ROK and IORA member states as well as officials from the IORA Secretariat to explore ways to improve substantial cooperation in the area of Tourism and Cultural Exchanges, which is one of the eight Priority Areas of IORA. The Seminar will be held in a hybrid online and offline format.

° Under the theme of “Exploring Opportunities for Sustainable Growth through Reinvention of Tourism and Cultural Exchanges in the Post-Pandemic Era,” the participants will discuss ways to promote cooperation on Tourism and Cultural Exchanges through two sessions: (1) Eco-friendly and Digital Tourism Policy for Resilience and Transformation, (2) Cooperation for the Sustainable Development on Tourism and Cultural Exchanges.

2. The government will continuously strengthen the mutually beneficial cooperation network with the Indian Ocean Rim community and will spare no effort in contributing to the sustainable development and prosperity of the Indian Ocean Region.